SEASON PREVIEW: FC hoops has potential to make some noise

Franklin County High School’s 2022-2023 basketball season is set to get under way this weekend, and Bulldogs’ Head Coach Rickey Van O’Quinn said his program hopes to make a statement in the upcoming campaign.

“We’re super excited because our teams have worked extremely hard in the off-season,” O’Quinn said.

“Our motto going in has been ‘we lost our last games’ and the kids went in with a focused approach to work hard and build something special for the upcoming season.

“We’re fortunate in that we have a lot of experienced players coming back that have seen significant time on the court because we, as coaches, know their abilities and the players know what we expect from them.”

FC’s varsity squads had a great deal of success during their previous season as the boys’ team compiled a 23-6 record, won a third-straight 7-3A title and made it to the Class 3A Elite Eight playoff round.

The Lady Bulldogs were an impressive 26-5 last year, also winning their third-consecutive district crown with a 10-0 run and advancing to Class 3A Final Four competition.

While O’Quinn said the milestones of the past have helped to build the foundation for Franklin County’s successful basketball program, it’s what is on the horizon that is front and center now where his teams are concerned.

VARSITY BOYS PREVIEW

FC’s varsity boys basketball team will be guard-heavy entering the new season, and will focus a lot on utilizing elements such as team size and speed to control game tempo.

O’Quinn noted Bulldogs’ returners Daylen Thomas and Kepatrick Nimox stand at well over 6-feet in height with some other players — still involved in football — also having good size.

“Early on, until we’re up to full strength, we’re going to have to rely a lot on our guards,” he said.

“You’ll see us out there running more than we have in the past and working on the press. With that in mind, we’ve run a lot in the off-season program to get into the best shape possible.”

Among the players expected to make an impact for the Bulldogs are:

Thomas, listed at 6-foot-8, was an all-star selection during the previous basketball season and has been chosen as one of the top 100 senior hoops performers to watch in Mississippi in the upcoming campaign.

Point guard Michael Covington, who O’Quinn describes as a great shooter, will also return to the line-up after a strong summer.

“Michael has a wonderful approach to the game and is one of the best shooters I’ve coached,” O’Quinn added. “We will be leaning heavily on both him and Daylen throughout the season.

“We are also glad to have Derrick Wilson — as a solid player and contributor for us over the past couple of years — back as a senior.”

Kentrez Bonds is another impact player for Franklin County who will be a workhorse for the squad.

“He was our ‘sixth man of the year’ last season and has grown in his abilities,” the coach noted.

“Jailen Hunt, who is a great defender, is coming back for us along with Kepatrick and they, too, will be valuable contributors on the court.”

Others looking to see playing time for the Bulldogs include Tyler Walton, a transfer student who sat out a year and has worked hard to be part of the FC hoops program; and Jamie Green, another guard who O’Quinn said will be stepping up to see playing time.

Bradley Washington and Jay Malone are among O’Quinn’s players who are currently involved in football, but will be rolling into basketball as the season progresses.

As far as anticipation goes, O’Quinn said his players had a significant summer in terms of getting in workouts and scrimmage games to build on their experience.

“We took them a lot of places and they won way more than they lost, and, most importantly, grew as a team,” he continued.

“The best way to describe them is a hard working bunch of blue-collar guys who’ll get after it and that makes me excited for what is to come this season.

“We have around 26 regular season games — but we pretty much go year-round, especially in the summer, which is our most important part of the year when it comes to getting physically and mentally prepared for competition.

“It can be a grind with so many camps and games, but our kids know that getting better takes a major commitment, and they are willing to put in the time and effort for us to be our best.”

VARSITY GIRLS PREVIEW

O’Quinn said his Lady Bulldogs have size on their side, but do not have the team-wide depth of experience coming back as seen in years past.

He anticipates returning starters Ja’Kya Brown, Niyla Wright and Harmoni Porter will be among his key competitors for the 2022-2023 campaign.

“We also have players like DeAsia Buie and Saiyon Harris, who came in a lot for us last season, and Kennedy Washington, who will come off the bench to be a starter this season, is a spark plug for the girls’ squad,” he went on to say.

O’Quinn noted a lot of the preseason focus on his girls’ program was the loss of standout players like JaSharreah Hunt and Rylei Turner to graduation, but the program will make changes that fits its styles and abilities.

“Things are certainly going to change for us — especially as far as the pace of the game goes, he continued.

“We feel like we’ve made strides where our defense is concerned and have the most experience there, but we also understand that it’s going to take some time for our offense to come along because a lot of our girls will have to step up in new roles.”

Others in the line-up who will be among those being looked to for what they can bring to the effort will include Da’Shara Hannon, who had limited playing time last season, but had an impressive off-season, especially when it came to defense.

Sophomores Raine Edmond and Jessany Harness are other fresh faces in the varsity line-up that O’Quinn said have the potential to be spark plugs for his Lady Dawgs.

“We feel like we can get out there and defend against anyone most nights and have the athletic ability — as a whole — to get after it,” the coach went on to say.

“Our girls have a lot of potential and they have a lot of excitement to get started. They approached things the right way this past summer in that they were committed to working hard and improving themselves with a positive mindset to make a statement during the upcoming season.”

As far as the hoops schedule for FC’s basketball teams is concerned, O’Quinn said the season slate will be no cake walk.

“We typically play a tough schedule where we go out to face anybody and everybody to get better before we get into divisional play,” he added.

“For us, the desire week-in and week-out is to play quality teams so we can compete and get better throughout the season ... and that’s why you will see us playing 4A, 5A and 6A schools.

“With our programs being a mix of returning and new faces, the goal is to pick up some wins early on to build our confidence — especially with our girls — and get ourselves ready for another run in district,” he said.

FC is slated to open its basketball campaign on Saturday, Oct. 22 on the road in the Magee Tournament and begins regular season action on Saturday, Oct. 29 at West Lincoln with an afternoon contest slated for 1 p.m.

The team’s home debut will be on Tuesday, Nov. 1 when the Bulldogs play host to Amite County beginning at 5 p.m.

The Dawgs will play on the road at North Pike on Thursday, Nov. 4; at Loyd Star on Thursday, Nov. 17; and at McComb on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

November’s lone scheduled game in Meadville will be against North Pike on Friday, Nov. 11 with two open dates on the slate.

FC will start December with road games at Brookhaven on Friday, Dec. 3 and at Morton on Tuesday, Dec. 6.

The Dawgs will play at home against Loyd Star on Friday, Dec. 9, Lawrence County on Tuesday, Dec. 13 and Natchez on Friday, Dec. 16.

FC will face Amite County on the road Monday, Dec. 19 — a contest sandwiched between the teams’ participation in the Lions Club Classic at Southwest Mississippi Community College on Saturday, Dec. 17 and the McComb Holiday Tournament set for Monday, Dec. 26 and Tuesday, Dec. 27.

The Bulldogs will start 2023 with dual district games against Port Gibson, Wilkinson County, Hazlehurst, Wesson and Jefferson County running from Jan. 3 through Feb. 3.

Returning to work alongside O’Quinn during the upcoming season will be Jarvis Hunt as the boys’ assistant coach and Ashley Barnes as the girls’ assistant.

“Jarvis played at Franklin County with a great offensive history when he was on the court and is knowledgeable of all aspects of the game — especially in areas like guard play — making him a tremendous asset to our boys’ team,” O’Quinn said.

“Ashley played here and the kids love her because she brings a high level of energy to our girls’ program. I remember her as a go-getter when it came to defense and we depend on her to bring that same hard-nosed approach.

“Jarvis and Ashley both have an investment in the program and want to see it succeed, and I enjoy working alongside them.”

Another member of last year’s coaching staff — Wesley Hines — moved on to Vicksburg between seasons and O’Quinn said he wishes the young coach well as he charts his future in high school basketball in Mississippi.